The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for removing fluids from a well. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mobile apparatus capable of lifting fluids, particularly oil, out of a well using a swab mounted on the free end of a cable which is run down the well and then retrieved, bringing the fluid up with it, and collecting and storing the fluid as it is removed from the well.
The present invention relates particularly to the production of oil from shallow oil wells, on the order of approximately 1,000 to 1,500 feet deep. These wells are typically located in soft formations, such as sand, which make them difficult to produce. When used on such wells, conventional production methods such as pumping, chamber lifts or jetting have several disadvantages. For instance, because of the high sand content of the oil in those wells, the pumps which are used are subject to clogging. Further, because of the low production of such wells, it is not economical to jet high-pressure air into the well to force the oil up out of the well because an electric motor is required to operate an air compressor, and large amounts of energy are consumed to produce a relatively small amount of oil from the well.
Many different devices and methods have been tried for the production of oil from these stripper wells (wells which produce less than about 10 barrels of oil a day). However, so far as is known, all the equipment and methods developed must be removed from the well from time to time so that the well may be sand pumped or swabbed to clean the well bore and perforations. Sand pumping and swabbing with conventional rental units is a relatively expensive procedure, and is prohibitively expensive on many stripper wells due to their low production. Although swabbing the wells is one of the best and most reliable methods, it is also the most expensive, requiring a two or three man crew and perhaps as much as half a day, depending upon the depth of the well, to perform.
There is, therefore, a need for a method and apparatus capable of producing oil from those wells economically. There is also a need for an apparatus and method capable of producing oil from those types of wells in an economical and reliable fashion.